Page 12 of No Reservations

He didn’t owe me an explanation. Relationships could end for a million different reasons. There was no reason to share personal things. It wasn’t like we were actually dating, after all, and knowing details like that about his past wouldn’t help us sell the illusion.

Matthew stared out the wide window. “He passed away from a cardiac issue. Something was wrong with his aorta, but no one knew about it. He was fine and then he was gone.”

My fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “Oh, Matthew. I’m so sorry.”

He heaved a single deep breath, and then turned back to face me, a smile plastered on his face once more. “So, that was a pretty good tenth date. The long-distance thing’s tough, but we couldn’t ignore the connection after our first meeting outside that LA coffee shop.”

I couldn’t let him do all the heavy lifting of the fake dating thing. “Exactly. We connected over our interest in um… coffee and…” I made the last turn onto the Halcyon Inn property. “There has to be something. I work a lot, go to the gym just enough to stay fit. I do quite a few LGBTQ+ charity events. At least I did before these rumors started flying around. I didn’t think it was fair to attract the negative press to the wonderful organizations.”

His smile looked brighter and more natural the next time I looked after pulling into the parking spot. He came around the front of the SUV and reached out to take my hand. Our fingers linked together like they’d done so a thousand times before. The warmth of his skin soothed something in me. Hand-in-hand, we headed down the shady path toward the cabin.

“That’s it. I volunteer at this youth center – Prism House - teaching outdoor and survival skills. We even have a campout at the end of the summer. Luckily, it doesn’t interfere with your event schedule. There’s no way I would miss Sunshine Days.”

Our conversation flowed more easily as we reached the cabin and went inside. As he headed to the bathroom, and I sank onto the couch where Matthew would sleep that night, a spark of hope came to life in my chest. Maybe this could do more than stop the rumors. Maybe I could actually enjoy it.

Chapter 7

Matthew

Cole didn’t snore. He’d occasionally mumble incoherent things in his sleep, tossed and turned a lot, and stumbled around bleary-eyed until his first coffee, but he didn’t snore. I was used to sleeping alone so, while the couch was pretty comfortable, his mumbling sometimes woke me up in the middle of the night. I tried not to get up and stare at him like a creeper, but as the days went by, I found myself wishing I could help somehow.

The man didn’t know how to have fun, and relaxation seemed like a foreign concept to him. It wasn’t really my thing, but I understood the draw for most people. He ordered brunch delivered to the cabin and worked all morning. I visited Wesand Dee, strolled around the property, swam in the lake, and researched stuff to do with Cole in the afternoons and evenings.

The first day after the canoe trip, we went to the local ice cream parlor for a snack. He had a vanilla soft-serve cone. Staring at him licking up the drips was something a boyfriend would do, right? I hoped so because it was difficult to tear my eyes away. I held his hand on the way back to his SUV, and I thought I spotted a group of teenage girls staring. Maybe they recognized him. Maybe they just thought it was cute to see two guys holding hands.

I learned more about the charity organizations he raised money for, and I told him about Sunshine Days and teaching kids about wilderness skills and roasting marshmallows. Cole never ate a smore, which I added to my mental checklist of relationship goals. Smores were proven to eliminate stress, and the thought of him licking gooey marshmallow off his lips affected me in ways I shouldn’t think about too deeply.

The second day sent us down a nearby trail to what the website called ‘a glorious haven of nature’s beauty.’ Since Cole only had running shoes and no hiking boots in his luggage, we took the paved path that led to a disappointing view of a far-off, mostly dry waterfall and a passel of the same yellow-shirted camp kids we’d seen in the canoes earlier.

I told him about the places I’d been while modeling, how I started as a foot model – some guy who I’d thought was a total creep at first approached me on the quad at college – and some of what I did now for the outdoor goods brand. After our walk, I set the GPS for a local sports store, and convinced him to buy a pair of hiking boots.

The third day, it rained, and Cole had work to do, so I stopped by my old cabin to hang out with my friends. I flopped onto the couch and propped my feet up. “I feel like I abandoned you guys.”

Wes leaned against my shoulder and sighed dramatically. “Yes, we cannot live without you. Really, I’m glad you left because I get a bed to myself now.”

Deandre huffed. “I can’t complain about that either. It’s much easier to have video sex with Joe now.”

“Eww! I mean ugh. I’m jealous.” Wes smacked Dee on the arm and giggled. “Of both of you, not just Joe. That would be weird.” He shook his head and turned back to me. “How are things going with Cole? There’s another post about you two online.”

I took his offered phone and looked down at a zoomed-in image of us standing in the shade of a big tree outside the ice cream shop. Cole was in mid-lick, and I was obviously staring at him with hunger very different from what I’d get for a frozen desert. “We look pretty convincing, right? Can you believe he’s never had a smore?”

“What? That’s impossible.” Wes looked personally affronted, but the expression shifted quickly to a frown. “Do you think it would be weird to invite him here? Like, can we meet him? Not as a celebrity-fan thing,” he hastened to add. “We’re your friends, and he’s your boyfriend or whatever.”

“You know it’s all fake,” Dee said.

“Of course, I do.” He waved his phone around. “If people identify Matthew, though, they could find out who his friends are and that we’re all at the inn at the same time. It would be odd if we didn’t hang out, right?”

Deandre narrowed his eyes. “He could be right.”

The idea of photogs diving that deeply into my personal connections and day-to-day activities sent a bolt of nerves shooting through me. I guessed it was silly. Those two guys in the restaurant who started the whole thing surely weren’t the only guests who would recognize Cole Gilliam. “You’re right.They have a campfire up on the lawn every night. Maybe we can all meet there and have smores.”

As we kicked around times and such, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

Cole:I have details about the gala this weekend. Where are you?

Matthew:Visiting Wes and Dee, the friends I came here with. Do you need me now?

Cole:It can wait.

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